It is known in rail vehicle technology to provide the front end of a track-guided vehicle with a protective fairing in order to protect the coupling disposed at the front end of the vehicle, and particularly the coupling head, from environmental influences such as snow, icing, moisture and dirt when the coupling is not in use and in its uncoupled state. So-called front-end modules which are mounted to the front end of the vehicle are used to this end. A front-end module normally comprises a nose flap which can pivot relative to the vehicle undercarriage and the coupling disposed on the front end of the vehicle in order to expose the coupler pocket as needed.
The term “nose flap” as used herein refers to the fairing for the coupler pocket which covers the front of the coupler pocket when in its closed state so as to protect the components of the coupler from environmental influences on the one hand and, on the other, eliminate aerodynamically disadvantageous frontal sections, which is of particular importance in the case of streamlined trainsets such as high-speed trains.
Nose flap kinematics are normally used to pivot the nose flap relative to the vehicle under-carriage, said kinematics comprising at least one actuating device and serving to expose the coupler pocket, and thus the coupling head, when needed. Doing so is then particularly required in order to bring the vehicle into a coupling-ready state or to enable access to the coupler pocket and the coupling components, for example when performing maintenance.